LAWYER
Hayden Coleman
Partner | New York
Hayden Coleman

Hayden A. Coleman is a partner in Dechert’s product liability and mass torts group where he focuses on aggregate and complex cases, including federal and state multidistrict litigation, class actions, and governmental actions. Mr. Coleman represents clients in the information technology, pharmaceutical, consumer goods, and insurance industries in matters concerning Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, product liability, public nuisance, consumer fraud, and false advertising.

Mr. Coleman has over 25 years of experience litigating cases in state and federal courts throughout the country where he has developed novel defense strategies and argued complex motions. He also has a robust appellate practice and has written briefs for the Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Circuits, as well as multiple state appellate courts. 

Throughout his career, Mr. Coleman has been a key player on the product liability team that has garnered numerous accolades, including Law360’s Practice Group of the Year for Product Liability in 2018 and 2019, and New York Law Journal's Litigation Department of the Year for Product Liability in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. He is recognized by Legal 500 US for Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Actions – Defense: Consumer Products. He also lectures and writes on topics relating to multi-district litigation, class actions, and product liability.

Prior to joining Dechert, Mr. Coleman was Counsel at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Of Counsel at Quinn Emmanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP.

  • A major social media company in multiple individual and class action lawsuits alleging that the company allowed its website to be used to facilitate commercial sexual exploitation of minors.
  • A major pharmaceutical company in more than one thousand federal and state lawsuits brought by state attorneys general, cities, municipalities, hospitals, and third-party payors alleging fraudulent marketing practices in connection with the sale and marketing of prescription opioid medications.
  • A Fortune 100 Company in thousands of asbestos-related lawsuits arising out of the company’s historic sales of asbestos products and ownership of talc mines.
  • A major insurance company as national coordinating defense counsel in Hurricane Katrina litigation in Louisiana and Mississippi.
  • A multinational automotive manufacturing company in multiple product defect putative class actions affecting the company’s best-selling SUVs and trucks.
  • A pharmaceutical company in the settlement of a statewide California class action alleging fraudulent marketing practices in connection with the sale of its hormone therapy medications.
  • A pharmaceutical company in over 150 cases alleging that the use of its antidepressant medications during pregnancy caused birth defects.
  • An American sports league in negotiating one of the of the largest personal injury class action settlements in U.S. history.
  • A major insurance company in persuading the federal district court overseeing the Hurricane Katrina litigation in Mississippi to disqualify a consortium of attorneys representing plaintiffs in more than 500 individual cases. McIntosh v. State Farm Fire & Casualty Co., 2008 WL 941640 (S.D. Miss. Apr. 4, 2008).
  • An insurance company in convincing the Fifth Circuit to affirm the trial court’s dismissal of a qui tam action, even though the Fifth Circuit reinstated the action against several co-defendants. U.S. ex rel. Branch Consultants v. Allstate Ins. Co., 560 F.3d 371 (5th Cir. 2009).
  • An alcohol beverage manufacturer in successfully obtaining dismissal of several putative consumer fraud class actions against brewers and distillers in Alston v. Advanced Brands & Importing Co., 2006 WL 1374514 (E.D. Mich. May 19, 2006), aff’d, 494 F.3d 562 (6th Cir. July 17, 2007), and Eisenberg v. Anheuser-Busch, Inc., 2006 WL 290308 (N.D. Ohio Feb. 2, 2006).
  • A technology company in successfully obtaining decertification of a nationwide consumer class action against a major computer manufacturer. Compaq Computer Corporation v. LaPray, 135 S.W. 3d 657 (Tex. 2004); and in successfully obtaining decertification of a nationwide “declaratory judgment” class action seeking a declaration that the defendant’s warranty violated the Magnuson- Moss Warranty Act. Compaq Computer Corp. v. Albanese, 153 S.W.3d 254 (Tex. App. – Beaumont 2004).

    Includes matters handled at Dechert or prior to joining the firm.
  • Class and Aggregate Litigation in North America — NYU Law (July 8-9, 2022)
  • Early Strategic Considerations: Practical guidance for the earliest stages — Duke Law (May 26, 2022)
  • Leadership Appointment Process — Duke Law (May 26, 2022)
  • Bench, Bar and Bankruptcy — George Washington Law (November 2022)
Services Industries
    • State University of New York at Albany, B.A., 1985, cum laude, Dean’s List
    • Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 1996, cum laude, Fordham Law Review, Dean’s List, Order of the Coif
    • New York
    • Supreme Court of the United States
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
    • United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
    • United States District Court for the Southern District of New York
    • United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
    • Former Law360 Product Liability Editorial Advisory Board Member